The film Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans & Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture explores the rich architectural legacy that began 300 years ago with the arrival of enslaved Africans, who were skilled in the building trades, in French colonial Louisiana. The film highlights these trades and tells the stories of contemporary master craftsmen in New Orleans: plasterer Jeffrey Poree, blacksmith Darryl Reeves, and the late brick mason Teddy Pierre.

After the screening, join a conversation with Poree, Reeves, and Jonn Hankins with the New Orleans Master Crafts Guild. They will share their hopes to preserve their fragile traditions and train apprentices to carry on their craft. The film, produced by the Louisiana Architecture Foundation, was made possible through public and private donations. Special thanks to the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development-Division of Historic Preservation and AIA Louisiana. Moderated by retired Folklife curator Diana Baird N’Diaye.